About Us

Our Mission

The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce is a not for profit organization dedicated to adding value for its members and Northern Champaign County by bringing people together to support business, educational, social and community activities to create positive outcomes for community building initiatives.

In addition to Rantoul, the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce services 10 communities outside of the Village limits. We advocate and provide support for businesses and individuals in Thomasboro, Gifford, Dewey, Ludlow, Paxton, Fisher, Armstrong, Potomac, Urbana and Champaign. The Chamber is primarily financed by the investment of its members who realize that they can accomplish collectively, through this association, what no one of us can do individually.

Our membership is comprised of businesses, organizations and individuals motivated to join a well-coordinated effort to improve the areas where we live and work. Chamber resources and expertise assist new businesses in their start-up efforts while helping existing businesses develop even further.

Many of our special events are steeped in tradition and proudly provided to the communities we serve through the generosity of our membership. We offer an exciting, high energy Fourth of July freedom celebration complete with a 5K run, pancake breakfast, parade, family-friendly activities and, of course, one of the best fireworks displays in Central Illinois. We host an annual golf outing and an annual community banquet as well as legislative luncheons, political candidate forums, member workshops and a community-wide lighted Christmas parade and celebration.

Our area has a strong agricultural component, bordered by farm fields featuring some of the best farm ground in the world creating a vibrant agribusiness economy. Rantoul is also host to the nationally recognized "Half Century of Progress Farm Show" which draws tens of thousands of people to our community every other year to honor the tradition and history of farming.

We look forward to working with, and for, you for many years to come. We appreciate your support as we enter our 93rd year as your voice in business.

Belynda Allen, RACC Executive Director

RACC Board of Directors

Justin Little

Janet Brotherton

Angie Jones

George Papametro

Lucie Gibbons

Shelley Warner-Craft

Michael Fox

Andy Graham

What is the Chamber of Commerce? Why should I be a member?

From time to time, it is important to be reminded about the many benefits of Chamber membership. The Chamber is not a civic club or charitable organization, but a voluntary association of hundreds of businesses, professionals and individuals who share a commitment to improve the economy and our community. The Chamber is not a department of government, political body or a public relations agency. The Chamber is an economic development organization that has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area.

In addition to Rantoul, the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce services 10 communities outside of the Village limits. We advocate and provide support for businesses and individuals in Thomasboro, Gifford, Dewey, Ludlow, Paxton, Fisher, Armstrong, Potomac, Urbana and Champaign. The Chamber is primarily financed by the investment of its members.

The Chamber offers many benefits. Not all members take advantage of all of the benefits available. Nevertheless, the following benefits are available for any member that wishes to use them:

Doing business with Chamber members – The Chamber exclusively utilizes goods and services provided by its members and encourages all others to do the same.

Business Referrals – The Chamber office receives many inquiries concerning available goods and services in the communities we serve. Our response is to provide the names of all members who provide such goods and services without a recommendation of one member over any other. For inquiries about businesses that are not members, we indicate that we cannot provide information about businesses that are not members of the association.

Newsletter Inserts – policy allows members to provide inserts to the Chamber Newsletter for a fee. Only 4 times per year can inserts be included with our distribution, but the newsletter reaches more than 400 individuals and businesses. We typically distribute electronic copies of the newsletter monthly via confidential email addresses provided by our members. Printed copies are available in the Chamber office.

Membership Directory – The Directory is distributed to every member, every prospective member, every prospective business and every new resident to Rantoul. The Directory is also included in the informational packages provided by the Chamber at select community events. The directory includes the business/individual name, address and phone number of every Chamber member. This directory is provided at no cost to our members, but advertising opportunities are available for a fee if your business would like a showcase placement within.

Welcome Program – Our Welcome Ambassador prepares information for distribution to all new residents of Rantoul. This information includes specifics about the community, but more importantly it provides introductions to member businesses that wish to participate in sponsorship of the program for a small monthly fee or a discounted annual rate. A distribution report will be issued quarterly to any member that sponsors the program. Our Welcome Ambassador’s contact information is included in each Welcome Gift so questions can be directed to a long-time resident with extensive knowledge of the communities we serve.

Brochure / Business Card Display – A wall in the Chamber office is dedicated to showcasing what our members have to offer. Any member can bring in brochures or business cards for display and distribution to Chamber visitors or at Chamber events. The brochures can advertise the sale of products/services, events or other appropriate information. There is no cost for this service.

Reference Materials – The Chamber office maintains a collection of phone books, business directories and other reference materials that are available for use by any Chamber member. If a resource is not readily available, we will make every reasonable effort to obtain it. There is no cost for this service.

Business After Hours – The Chamber coordinates a Business After Hours event once every month. This event can be sponsored by one or more member businesses and provides a relaxed, informal setting for networking and information sharing. Admission to each event is free of charge. The costs associated with this event for food/refreshments and door prizes for attendees are furnished by the sponsoring business(es).

If you’re already a member and wish to provide additional financial support, the Chamber offers the following sponsorship opportunities. If you’re unable to provide financial support at this time, volunteers for events are always needed.